Vending machine



I oct. 7, 1930. I J, CARROLL 1,777,715

VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 am ZQarraZZ I 1' J. E. CARROLL VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- cWm zzmzz l My invention relates to :new and useful improvements .11121 vendlng machine where-- 111 it 1s required that a receptacle as-Well as Patented Oct. 7, 1930 Joann. CARROLL, or oirIoAGo, nnmors V V DING. MACHIHE Application filed september'20, 1928. serial uoqaozosa a COiIlybG inserted to permit the eoniplete ;operation ofwtlie device. for thedelivery of another receptacle, presumably a new or'full one. I, l

One of theobjects of the invention isto so construct the vending machine that upon the insertion of a coin, a portion of the mechalnismisunlocked whereby upon proper manipulatlon an aperture 1s uncovered for the ll'lSGIlJlOIl of an empty or'used receptacle and after the insertio-n'of such receptacle, the

. machine may be further manipulated to deliveria full or unused receptacle .Another object of the% inventi0n=isto' prolvide means -to-release part of the mechaperiod ofoperation, and upon .'it'urtheror.

nism upon forcing-2a coin into the coin slot 1 wand to provide forwreleasing the coin upon movement of. the freed mechanism to a predetermined position. v

A further object ofthe invention isthe provision of several: co-ordinated means i whichtwill cause .the release of operating mechanismfroma carrler of oontalners.

upon the insertion of atcoin, and then permit the simultaneous uncovering, of an inlet. opening and the covering] ofianoutlet opening, also free-theicoin iduringthe early reverse movement ofthe'operating-mecha- T nism, after the insertion of an empty con,-

tainer or receptacle, to cause, the delivery machine.

- 1. of a full receptacle and the relooking of the 4 A still furtherobjectof the invention is to utilize the coin as aconnec'tingmeans between the operating mechanism and: the carrier to move said carrier coLmter-clockwise with the operating mechanism.

W v ith these ends in view, this. invention consists in the details of construction and.

combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims. p L p In order that those skilled in the art to which'this invention appertainsmay understand how to make -and-use' the same,.I, will ated outletcover check. I

mal rest positions.

Fig.2, is a similar viewwith the cover removed.

Fig. 3,.is also a plan VlGVV- with the COV61"3 and carrier. removed.

Fig. 4, is likewise aplanview with the cover 0E and the carrier. and operating mechanismremoved.

Fig. 5, is a face view of. the spring actu-. 05

Fig. 6,. i s an edge view thereof. 1

Fig. 7, is a section on the line 77 of Fig.

3 with the coin and carrier lock in elevation in the position prior toinsertionof a coin. .17.:

.Fig. 8 is afragmentary view, similar to Fig. 7,.illustrating theXpositionfor releasing the coin. I l

Fig. 9, is a view similar to Fig. 2,;With the operating meohanisminthe position assumed 75 at the end of the first movement after being unlocked by the coin. l

Fig. 10, is a view similartoFig. 4-,shoW- ing the position of the outlet cover at the end in place and the lower part broken away and the outlet closure shown in elevation to clearly illustrate the construction and operation s5 thereof. y l l Fig. 12, is a similar. section on the line 12- 12 ofFig. 3, with the cover andcarrier iuposition. y

- Fig. 13, is a vertical section of the machine ."casing or body, with theooverjin place, on the line. 1313 of FigQQ and havingparts broken away to illustrate details of construction. Q '1 Fig; 14:, is a similar section on the line 1%14: of Fig. 9, the interior mechanism beingwholly in elevation.

Incarrying out the inventionas herein embodied, 15representssuitablesupports, such describe its {construction .in..detail, referring M a les f t ca i or dyx firhkh is preferably circular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 1, and this casing is provided with a bottom wall 17 and has a removable cover 18 at its upper end removably secured in a place in any suitable or desirable manner. The fastening means for the cover should include a locking device 19 so that ready authorized access may be had theretofor refilling purposes, and with studs 20 co-operating with bayonet slots 21 inthe flange of the cover 18 or some other convenient equivalent method for fastening the cover in place.

In the cover is a coin slot 22 having beveled edges 23 which aligns with coin chute 24 when the operating mechanism is at rest as shown in 1, 2, 3 and 7, said coin chute being carried by or forminga part of the operating mechanism. The operating mechanism includes a segment 25 having a bore 26 for registration with the upper end of the vertical shaft 27 which latter is centrally located in the casing. Across the bore 26 is a pin 28 for registration with the notch 29 in the upper end of the shaft 27 for positioning the operating mechanism relative to other parts which are also connected with the shaft, as will be hereinafter described. In the bore 26 projects :1 lug 30 carried by the inner face of the cover 18 so as to form the upper hearing for the shaft. 7

On one edge of the segment 25 is slidably mounted the carrier lock 31 by means of a screw 32 or its equivalent passing through a longitudinal slot 33 in the lock 31 and having threaded connection with said segment 25. The inner end of the lock 31 projects through an aperture 34 so that the inner end or nose normally lies in the path of travel of a coin when inserted through the coin slot 22, and said lock is normally forced inward by means of a spring 35 secured intermediate its ends by a screw 36 and having one end 37 anchored, as by insertion in a hole in the segment 25, while the other or free end rides against the lug 38 and projects from the upper edge of the lock 31 and said lug also acts as the cam finger for coaction with the cam 39 carried by the inner face of the cover 18.

The cam 39 in addition to the cam surface 40 is provided with the keeper notch 41 into which the lug 38 projects when the parts are at rest or in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

At the outer end of the lock 31 is a pendant 42 provided with pin 43 for coaction with apertures 44, Figs. 1, 2, 13 and 14, in the carrier tubes 45, which are open from end to end and supported for rotation about the shaft 27- by a diaphragm 46 rotatably mounted upon said shaft 27. There may be any desirable number of the carrier tubes and associated with each of these is a coin slot 47 in the dia phragm between the hub and the tubes so that they may be moved into alignment with the coin chute 24 at certain times and then into alignment with the carry-off chute 48 at another time, the said carry-off chute leading to a suitable coin receptacle as should be obvious.

In order to prevent coins from dropping through the slots 47 except when the latter are in alignment with the carry-oil chute 48, a coin rest or track 49 is provided a suitable distance below the diaphragm 46 to maintain the coin in a position which will lock the diaphragm to the coin chute 24 by means of said coin as shown by dotted lines at 50, in Fig. '7. The coin rest or track 49 is of arcuate formation and has one end connected with the carry-off chute while the other end is supported by an upright 51 having a foot 52 for connection to the bottom wall 17 of the body or casing.

It might be well to state at this time that the diaphragm 46 is positioned vertically of the shaft 27 by means of a collar 53 fixed to said shaft by a pin 54 or its equivalent.

The lower end of the shaft 27 is journalled in a bearing 55 preferably formed as a boss on the inner surface of the casing bottom wall 17 and a short distance above said bearing, a hub 56 is fixed to the shaft by a pin 57 or its equivalent and said hub carries the outlet closure 58 designed to rotate with the shaft across the outlet opening 59 in the bottom wall of the casing and which leads to a delivery pocket 60. such pocket here shown as of semi-cylindrical formation with notches 61 for the'insertion of an operators finger to remove a receptacle or container after being delivered into the pocket.

The cover 18 of the device is provided with an inlet opening-62 in alignment With the outlet opening 59 and the several carrier tubes 45 are intermittently brought into alignment with these two openings as the machine is operated. In order to close the inlet opening at certain times, a flap 63 is provided on the segment 25 and formed as a part of the operating mechanism and said flap has an opening 64 which is brought into alignment with the inlet opening 62 as the outlet opening 59 is covered by the closure 58 as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10.

When the parts'are in the positions shown .in Figs. 9 and 10, which is after movement of the operating mechanism clockwi said parts are locked against the reverse or counterclockwise movement by the locking can] 65 which is in the path of travel of the outlet closure 58 in which position it is normally held by a spring 66 anchored intermediate its ends on the screw 67 which is the'pirot for the locking cam and one end of said spring is set in a-h'ole 68 in the bottom wall of the casing while the other end is set in a hole 69 in the releasing cam' 70 associated with the locking cam."

The locking and releasing cams are fashioned from a single piece of material with 7 and 8, will ride off the cam surface and be projected into the keeper notch 41 in the cam 39 and since the pendant 42 is carried by said lock, the pin 43 on said pendant will 7 machine which is practically fool-proof and which prevents the vending of a full receptacle until both a coin and an empty recaptacle has been placed therein. One of the outstanding advantages of the construction illustrated and described is that a coin must be first inserted and the perspective purchaser does not lose said coin unless he is without an empty receptacle.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. A machine for vending merchandise in returnable receptacles comprising a casing having vertically aligned inlet and outlet openings, a cam provided with a keeper notch carried by the casing, an operating mechanism, a coin actuated locking means spring pressed in one direction and included as a part of the operating mechanism and coacting with the cam-keeper. a rotatable carrier for receptacles connectible to the operating mechanism through the medium of a coin, said locking means also coacting with the carrier whereby said carrier is locked to the operating mechanism and the latter to the casing but unlocked upon insertion of a coin through a slot in the top of the casing, said coin being temporarily held by the locking means during an initial movement of the operating mechanism, and closures for the inlet and outlet openings to simultaneously cover one anduncover the other of said open ings upon movement of the operating mechanism.

2. A machine for vending merchandise in returnable receptacles comprising a casing having vertically aligned inlet and outlet openings, a carrier for receptacles rotatably mounted within the casing, an operating mechanism reciprocatingly mounted in the casing, coin controlled locking means for locking the carrier to the operating means and the latter to the casing in an at-rest position but when unlocked permitting an independent movement in one direction of the operating mechanism, means to cause a coin to connect theoperating mechanism with the carrier whereby the two may be moved together in an opposite direction, a closure movable with the operating mechanism to uncover the inlet opening at the end of the first movement, a closure movable with the operating mechanism to cover the outlet opening at the end of the first movement, and means coacting with the last named closure and controlled by a returnable receptacle to lock the movable parts in a semi-open condition.

3. A machine for vending merchandise in returnable receptacles comprising a casing, a central vertical shaft, a segment fixed to the upper end of said shaft, a coin chute carried by said segment and adapted to align with a coin slot in the top of the casing when the parts are in an at-rest position, a carrier for receptacles rotatably mounted on the shaft and connectible With the coin chute through the medium of a coin when the latter enters in one of a number of coin slots in the carrier, a cam-keeper on the inside of the top' of the casing, a locking means slidably mounted on the segment and spring pressed inwardly for coaction with the cam-keeper and the carrier to lock the latter to the segment and said segment to the casing, but releasable upon the insertion of a coin which will be temporarily retained in the upper end of the coin chute by the locking means until the latter is released by the cam, means on the shaft normally covering an inlet opening in the top of the casing but uncovering said opening during the first part of the operating movement of the machine to permit the insertion of an empty receptacle, and means also carried by the shaft to cover an outlet opening in the bottom of the casing during the first movement of the machine and on which an empty receptacle rests upon insertion in the machine and uncovering said outlet opening during the second part of the movement of the machine, and means controlled by the returned receptacle to lock the mechanism at the end of the first part of the movement.

7 4. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein the carrier includes a plurality of tubes opened from end to end to receive and convey receptacles toward the outlet opening and away from the inlet opening.

5. A machine for vending merchandise in returnable receptacles including a casing having vertically aligned inlet and outlet openings, means to support receptacles which are resting on the bottom of the casing in upright positions and move them toward the outlet opening, operating mechanism movable in one direction upon insertion of. a coin and connectible t0 the means by said coin and movable in the opposite direction in connection with said means after the first movement by the insertion of a receptacle, means to support the inserted receptacle until the latter is beyond the outlet opening.

6. A machine for vending merchandise in returnable receptacles including a casing having vertically aligned inlet and outlet openings, a carrier including a plurality of tubes opened at both ends whereby receptacles placed therein will rest upon the bottom of 7 the casing and be supported in an upright position for movement tOWfllClthB outlet opening by said carrier, said tubes having notches 5 in their upper ends, operating mechanism provided With means for registration With the notches in the tubes and movable in one direction upon insertion of a coin and connectible to the carrier through the medium of said coin said 0 eratin mechanism bein mov- 1 fixed my signature.

able in the opposite direction after the completion of the first movement and upon in sertion of a receptacle through the inlet opening, said carrier then being moved With the 15 operating mechanism, means to prevent retrograde movementof the carrier and means to support the inserted receptacle until the latter is beyond the outlet opening. i In testimony whereof, I have hereunto af- JOHN E. CARROLL. 

